A customer at Aldi ignited an ethics debate about whether or not it’s OK to take the quarters from the shopping carts that other customers leave behind.
Jess (@jess_joy) posted a short video on her TikTok account. In it, Jess calls out a shopper for something she felt broke the unspoken social contract of using Aldi shopping carts.
The Aldi cart system
For those unfamiliar with the shopping cart system at Aldi, the German supermarket chain uses carts that have a lock attached to the handlebar. In order to use them, customers must insert a quarter into the slot to release the lock. Once they’re done shopping, they can return the cart to the corral, insert the chain from the cart in front of the one they are returning, and the coin will pop back out.
Many Aldi shoppers choose to “pay it forward” when it comes to cart etiquette. They often will give a cart already in use to the next customer and offer for them to keep their quarter. Sometimes, as Jess points out, people will return the cart but leave the quarter in the slot for the next shopper. Some will even go as far as to fill multiple carts with quarters as a kind gesture.
However, Jess appears to have experienced the opposite kind of shopper. The TikToker filmed a line of shopping carts in the corral outside of an Aldi supermarket in Harrisburg, Pa. She explained her gripe in the text overlay.
“Just watched a lady at Aldi return her cart, take her quarter out then proceeded to take the quarter out of another cart someone had left as a nice gesture…” the disappointed shopper writes.
Viewers debated in the comments section
Jess’ video received 1.1 million views, and viewers had a lot of differing opinions that they shared in the comments.
“I always leave a quarter. How sad that someone is ok robbing a fellow human being of a gift and blessing,” chided one user.
“If I do ever put an extra cart up I always lay the extra quarter on the ledge near the carts for someone to use if needed,” claimed another.
One shopper admitted, “I’m not gonna lie, if I see a cart abandoned in the Aldi parking lot, I’m returning it for the quarter.”
“That’s a finder’s fee!” argued someone else in the replies, adding, “It’s different when it’s already here in cart return and someone takes it.”
But there were many who proudly owned up to taking quarters from Aldi shopping carts, arguing that this was simply the way of the world we live in.
“Aldi customers are nice. But it’s kinda hard to pass up free money,” wrote one person.
“In this economy, I totally get it,” agreed another. Another said, “Well when you have to pay all that money for groceries the quarter gets a little more important!!”
“I make $1.00 every time I go to Aldi. Sometimes more,” claimed yet another person on the side of taking quarters from the shopping carts.
@jess_joy #Loser #GoodDeed #Aldi #BeNice ♬ LOSER!! – Mckenna Grace
One viewer admitted to taking quarters but understood the mistake after watching Jess’ video.
“I never realized people left quarters as a nice gesture for others… I thought they forgot their quarters so I was always like “score!” …. Now I realize,” they wrote.
“Not gonna lie I do the same. Feeling shame right now,” said someone else.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jess via TikTok direct message for further comment.
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